This Must Be the Place

by Susan Jackson Rodgers

It's the summer of 1983. Ronald Reagan is in the White House, Princess Leia is on magazine covers, and Thea Knox is on the road. Fresh out of college, Thea is driving solo from California to New York. Her plan is to house-sit for her parents for the summer, but they sell her childhood home on a whim, leaving Thea (once again) to her own devices. She takes a detour to visit her Aunt Wendy in Merdale, a college town nestled in the Kansas prairie. Unlike Dorothy, Thea's adventure begins when she arrives in Kansas. Thea is immediately surrounded by her aunt's group of friends, including Julie, a bookstore owner; Nick, Julie's carpenter boyfriend; Bob, a stoner wildlife rehabilitator; and Amira, a lawyer who works with runaway girls. When she finds herself in love at first sight with Jimmy Ward, a local with a hazy past, Thea decides to extend her stay. Not everyone welcomes her into the fold, however, and Thea's own past―including her distant best friend and erstwhile boyfriends on either coast―is nipping at her heels. When she discovers a terrible secret that could upend Jimmy's world, the spell of happiness she has woven in this unlikely place threatens to break. This compelling coming-of-age novel explores the search for identity, love, friendship, and home, and celebrates the magic and mystery that exist in even the most ordinary places.

Genres: Fiction

180 pages, Paperback

Published August 22, 2017

Reviews

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a fan and former student of Susan's, I am completely biased, but I loved this book. Thea is a compelling and complex narrator and this was one of those books that I am sad to see end--I wanted to stick with Thea and find out what happened next. Susan's writing is vivid, detailed, funny; while the novel is mostly character-driven (my preference!), there is an intriguing and satisfying plot as well. A joy to read.

[Lainie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This started out a little fluffy for me but as I read on, the characters began to get under my skin—in a good way. Strong narration that feels so real it might be autobiographical, plotting tighter than it seems at first, and a very satisfying third act. I ended up really liking this novel and feel good recommending it.

[John Addiego · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an exquisite coming of age story about a young woman in the early 1980s. It's also a reflection on Kansas as the heart of our country, filled with allusions to the Wizard of Oz. Beautifully-written with compelling characters, it evokes the yearning and confusion of a passionate and intelligent person trying to find her place in the world amid the dangers of self-doubt, betrayal, and jealousy. At times dark, more often luminous, it's a very American story.

[Kelly K · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ page 117

This was the first time I dug into the Recommendations tab here on Goodreads and randomly picked something. Remind me to never do that again. Honey, your algorithms crooked, fix that shit.

This book had a bit of humor but it couldn't make up for the pacing issues, unlikable characters, and just UGH plot.

[booklover · Rating 5 out of 5]

found this book somewhat serendipitously, and immediately fell in love. The characters are given room to be complex, interesting, and messy. The song references added a fun layer, and set the cultural context - 5 stars

[Amber]

Poison-Generational-book set when the boomers were in their prime-Young woman taking a friends car cross county stops at her AUnts, moves in with a guy for the summer. Turns out to be a murder mystery except most people didn't kow a murder had been committed. Doesn't have closure